by Ken Pence
“Whew,” she said. “You were so right. He was...is...much too dangerous and devious to leave on Earth. I think your idea about throwing him out the airlock might do the human race a service though. I haven’t told anyone else yet. Here’s the transcript,” she said and touched MemDexs together to transfer files. “It’s volumes. He talked for hours. I’d admire the bastard if he weren’t so scary. Did you feel that for him too?”
“Yes. He may prove useful. He has put lives in jeopardy. Can you summarize for me?”
“He has two large drones near the orbit of Jupiter. He’s been feeding alien crews schedule information and collecting rare metals from them as payment. There have been a few contacts – the latest was UmBllatt’s brother, UmUff. There were two others, all Ullumff – probably relatives. Still don’t know how he contacted them but I’ll dig that out. He tried to have us killed early on – then decided he’d just plant moles to ferret out information. We know about the one in the Enclosure but there are three others there besides. There is one here but he says he doesn’t know who it is because he was obtained through a cutout,” she said – exasperated by the admission of failure on that point. “I certainly don’t want another snake with us.”
“There is always that risk. Untrustworthy people are likes weeds – they pop up unannounced. We shouldn’t be surprised when they are around,” General Kyger said. “What else was he up to?”
“He suborned several World Council members and detailed how he tricked them into financial or sexual dalliances. Pretty creative there but that is like low hanging fruit in politics. He has done the same with some of the judges of the courts he has been approaching with these potential injunctions. He controls the anti-aging research team we just hired at the Enclosure. He’s detailed a lot of actions to secure our technology and sell it to unaligned nations,” she said.
“Do you think he’s worth keeping around? I’m serious about out the airlock and I guess he finally realized I wasn’t bluffing.”
Desiree paused, finished the last of her tea and gently wiped her mouth. “He knows a lot about setting up production. He is incredibly knowledgeable though he only has a business undergraduate degree. Don’t judge him by that – he has taken Tros and Trade and knows a lot from the original manuals we obtained when we signed the treaty. What now?” she asked.
“Thanks with this...have you talked it over with Tod or Andrew?”
“I confirmed to Tod that Phillips had hired people to have us killed but haven’t told him more. Men are such babies in some areas. I remember those men he sent to kill us years ago and I, for one, will never trust or forgive him. I will not lose a wink of sleep if we have to toss him...so I don’t plan to tell them more than I have to...” she said.
“Did anyone visit or try to visit Phillips after he was brought on board?” Brad asked. “Did you put the recording MemDex on him?”
“First thing, it’s also built into the ID card tag we gave him. It recorded the whole interview,” Desiree said. “Oh. Captain Xu came by just as we finished. He went with Phillip’s escort on the way to his quarters.”
Brad sighed heavily. “Thanks Desiree. I wasn’t about to let one man threaten Earth’s future because he wants more power – legal or not. Some people have distorted views on how to survive as a species. We have some rough times ahead and we better get out there and face it before it all comes to Earth. I’ll send this to Sykes and he can work on it from his end. This should save him miles of legwork. Unknotting a cord is easier to do if you can see the knots. Thanks again,” he said and got up as she left the table. He called his aide to join him and Atassi was there in a couple of minutes. “Lieutenant, I want all communications screened by you personally. No one is allowed to contact friends or relatives and I want all attempts investigated.”
“Communications screened by me. All attempts investigated. Yes sir. Should I inform higher authority on the Odin or surreptitiously?” Atassi asked.
“No need for all that I think. Let Commander Shuler in on it, tell him why. I sent you Phillip’s transcript. Study it. He’s admitted planning several murders, blackmail – you name it. No communication from this ship or base, at all, except to General Sykes until further orders from me – not even the Captain. I’m planning to meet with Captain Xu now and get him up to speed.”
“No communication from base or ship to anyone other than Sykes. Understood,” Atassi said. The general indicated he was dismissed – so he saluted and got out of there fast. This was getting deep...admitting murders...humm...Phillips was not a nice guy.
Captain Xu appeared a few minutes later a little out of breath and in a huff. “Sir, you sent for me?”
“Captain, would you step over here please?” General Kyger walked over to a small conference room off the observation deck and turned on the security scrambler. Brad sat down but Captain Xu remained standing.
“May I speak freely sir?” Xu said.
Brad indicated to go for it.
“You’ve been undermining my command since you got here. There is only one Captain on a ship and you haven’t been keeping me informed. I just now get a summons right when we are getting ready to get under weigh. Then I find out you’ve restricted all communications – even mine. I was not allowed to communicate with my family before I left. I won’t have it,” he said.
“Is that it? Let me explain something. I am also Admiral Kyger. I don’t have time to inform you of everything. I summoned you here to get you up to speed. Are you saying you wish to be relieved of command?” Brad said and before the Captain could close his mouth, he continued. “Are you saying you question my orders or I have to seek your approval before I issue any orders?”
“No sir but...” Captain Xu said.
“There is one, maybe more, traitors on this ship. They intend to stop us or get us to delay so Phillip’s people can disband the Regulatory Force and take over trade themselves. I don’t intend to let that happen. I’m sorry I didn’t have the luxury of getting your input first. Will you follow my orders without reservation?” General Kyger asked.
“Sir, you ordered some of my crew and my shuttle to kidnap a civilian and then, from all reports, you tortured a confession out of a highly influential business man. I won’t stand...” Captain Xu said.
Brad Kyger stood up. “You will not stand for...that’s it. I was bringing you in here to brief you on what was happening and my reasoning.” Brad keyed his MemDex.
Two minutes later, Commander Shuler, Lieutenant Commander Watanabe, Lieutenant Atassi, Master Chief Mayerchak and two ratings came running to the door and stood just outside as Captain Xu stood there fuming.
“Master Chief. Were your people the ones escorting Phillips to his quarters after talking with Dr. Bardeen?” Kyger asked.
“Yes sir,” the Chief answered.
“Did Mister Phillips have a conversation with anyone after speaking with Doctor Bardeen?”
“Just Captain Xu sir,” the chief answered.
“Did that seem unusual? Could you hear what they said?” Brad asked.
“Sir, he is the Captain. They just talked a few seconds. No sir. We couldn’t hear what they said,” the Chief answered.
“Why was that Chief? Weren’t you close enough?” Brad asked.
“Sir, the Captain asked us to give him a second alone with him to calm him down. He said Phillips wasn’t going to attack anyone. He said the guy was 90 – what was he going to do?”
“Thank you, Chief. Please give a statement to that effect to Lieutenant Atassi later today,” Brad said and didn’t give him time to acknowledge the order but turned to Commander Shuler.
“Commander Shuler, who am I?” Brad asked.
“General Brad Kyger, sir?” Shuler said with trepidation. What had happened? What was going on? He thought...Lord. Xu looks pissed off.
“Lieutenant Atassi, my naval rank and assignment in the Regulatory Force?”
Atassi thought he had guessed what was coming. Xu must have really screwe
d up, he thought. “Rear Admiral Bradley Kyger, sir. You are in charge of all Earth ships and in command of all ships outside of geostationary orbit.”
“Captain Xu is relieved of command and is under arrest. He is temporarily to be quartered at the lunar base until his new assignment is confirmed. He is to be kept incommunicado. Make sure you study a copy of Phillip’s transcript. Commander Shuler,” Kyger said addressing Shuler directly. “You are now, acting Captain of the Odin until I can make it permanent,” Brad turned to the others. “Chief, have your people escort Captain Xu to the brig at the base. I want him off this ship in five minutes.”
Captain Xu had turned beet red. He looked like he was about to explode. This man couldn’t do this to him. He had traded a cozy position on a real US Naval Cruiser three years before for this...this. He was not going to be treated this way. “You cannot get away with this Kyger. I have friends. I have friends in high places. Do you think that just anybody could get this job? I’ll have your job as...”
“Chief, if he says one more word to anyone – I want him sedated and carried to the brig at the station. Escort him to the brig immediately. Have someone gather his things and get them off this ship.”
“Captain Xu, you are formally relieved of all command. The charge is treason. Chief, place him in the brig on the station. He is not allowed to contact anyone until authorized by General Sykes.”
“Carried to the brig and sedated if he says another word...Escorted to the brig. Belongings sent to the station. No communication until authorized by General Sykes. Aye sir,” he said to Admiral Kyger.
“Captain...if you’d come this way sir,” the Chief said to the jaw-clamped Captain Xu.
“Acting Captain Shuler,” Brad ordered. “Come with me to communications. We have a lengthy report for Lieutenant General Sykes. Atassi, get me a copy of all communications Mister Phillips has had since leaving Dr. Bardeen.”
Shuler and Kyger went to communications. Kyger ordered the two crewmen there to get General Sykes on the horn, and then wait outside. Shuler remotely transferred the files from the miniature MemDex worn by Phillips to his and General...Admiral Kyger’s MemDexs. The file contained only twelve seconds of audio that was obviously Captain Xu doing the talking.
Shuler played the file after it was confirmed Sykes was coming on line and the two crewmen had stepped outside. The audio file began to play -- “Gene, don’t blame me. Kyger is a lunatic and didn’t let me know what he was planning. He’s toast now. I’ll get you out of this so he won’t screw up our plans.”
“You better Raymond,” Phillips voice played.
“Thank you for sharing that with me, sir. I was...quite uncomfortable taking over his ship,” Shuler said as General Sykes face appeared on the screen.
“Your ship...”Brad said and turned back to the screen and began to relate all that had happened to Sykes.
Sykes listened patiently and asking clarifying questions occasionally. Sykes sat there a minute absorbing it all.
“Sir, orders?” Brad said wondering just what the scarred intelligence officer would do. “I suspected him and this just puts another nail in his coffin.”
“We don’t have time to get anyone else that knows the Odin, Commander Shuler,” Sykes said with the few seconds of delay due to the latency between the moon and Earth. “You are hereby promoted to Captain of the Odin with all its responsibilities and privileges. Don’t disappoint me, young man.”
“No sir. I won’t sir,” Shuler said.
“That will be all, Captain,” Sykes said and Shuler saluted and exited.
“Sir?” Brad said to Sykes in a very weary tone.
“Welcome to the fun of command. The admin and politics is the hard part. You just had a taste of what it’s been like down here. My people have only had a few minutes to look at that interview of Phillips. His collusion with Captain Xu will be a real eye opener for those people here that thought we should just plead in court. Now we have leverage over the same segments of the Council that backed Phillips. This isn’t going to be easy because there are a lot of people, like Phillips, that are bucking any regulations. The unaligned nations are getting ready to field ships too so you’ll need to watch your back. The next trading bases should be in operation by the time you get back. You do realize there may be other plants on your ships?” Sykes said.
Brad nodded and waited for the delay.
“Keep Phillips with you. I agree he’d be too dangerous on Earth. Give him a military tribunal if he acts up and toss him if you have to...I’ll take care Captain Xu at the lunar base. He’s being held incommunicado isn’t he?”
“Yes sir, but he may be able to get around that with the leaks we are discovering from Phillips,” Brad said.
“Fine, Admiral. Send us the Chief’s statement and then get going. Pick up Phillip’s rogue drones by Jupiter on your way. Make sure they’re not booby trapped,” Sykes ordered. “Keep in touch as long as you can. Good luck. Sykes out.”
Brad acknowledged and signed off. He had the commo crew return and asked Captain Williams (Andrew), and newly minted Captain Shuler to prepare for departure and to meet him in two hours normal.
The Departure
The meeting with Shuler and Williams was mainly to put them on alert to what had been happening. The rumors had been flying around the Odin, Junior and the base. They set up courses for the two drones Phillips had told them about. They also set up the planned communications experiments to test the range and maximum bandwidth of the quantum entanglement. The two shuttles, Victoria and Albert had both had the comm system upgraded and knew that the system worked when one end was fixed and the other was the one-third of an AU or about 50 million kilometers. Communications was still frozen by order of General – make that Rear Admiral Kyger.
The time arrived to seal off both ships and move a ways from the lunar station. Captain Shuler and Williams communicated once and both set course for the orbit of Jupiter where the first Phillips drone was supposed to be located. Tod and Desiree sat strapped in at departure on the Odin. They were holding hands – not in fear – just mutual admiration. They were two of the few civilians aboard the ship. Their cabin aboard the Odin was larger than the Odin but they had gotten used to the Junior.
The departure was anticlimactic. There was no fanfare, no cheering – it was with a somber mood that both crews left Earth. The Odin surged ahead. There was no felt acceleration or inertia felt. Suddenly they were at the max speed for their microwave detection was about 1/8th light speed so they expected it to take about four and a half hours with all the asteroids. Small ones wouldn’t be a problem but there were too many unknowns to risk collisions in case there was a total power failure.
Desiree was contacted by the Engineering Tech – one of the explosives experts responsible for rendering this drone safe to approach. “Any special codes we need to use, Doctor?”
“Yes...what do I call you?” she asked.
“Tech First Class Seward, ma’am.”
“Nice to meet you, Tech. Contact the drone with three one second pulses at 137.37MHz as you approach. Do not position any closer than 2 klicks until you get a single continuous tone return at 121.5 MHz. Use three one second pulses at 137.37 MHz as you leave to reset it and trigger communication with Earth,” Desiree explained.
“Anything else, Doc?” he asked. “It could be important.”
“No. I was very clear and Phillips said he didn’t want to start a war. The drone has security protocols to keep from losing everything but I sent you that information already. Is it enough?” she asked.
“Guess I’ll see soon enough, ma’am,” the tech answered.
The shuttle approached the drone and it was big – not quite as big as the shuttle but jet black, like a propane tank – a really big propane tank – a bit larger than double the dimensions of a railroad tank car. The pulses did the trick and a large door opened on the side. This was the part that would be tricky as the Tech was supposed to enter a special code on a pane
l inside and the whole system would disarm. There was a long time – about seven minutes that felt like hours and then the tech called.
“Victoria...this is tripwire one. We’re in. You’re not going to believe this...Master Sergeant Craig says there’s a lot of valuable metals here.”
“Details Tripwire? Over.”
“Stand by...Victoria...List follows in order by atomic number: Yttrium 39, Technetium 43, Indium 49, Tellurium 52, Lanthanum 57, Cerium 58, Neodymium 60 (lots of that), Europium 63, Terbium 65, Dysprosium 66, Erbium 68, -- not sure I’m pronouncing these right – and a lot of Tantalum 73 – plus what looks like a few kilotons of gold and platinum. It’s all listed here by atomic number and there are instructions for getting printouts of schedules in Trade. Tripwire over.”
“Tripwire. Can you move the whole thing? Is it inert? Over.”
“Victoria. We can tow it. All the explosives have been removed. Over.”
“Tripwire. Good work Tripwire. Over.”
“Victoria, we were not the ones who removed the explosives. Someone did an expert job before we got here. Over.”
“Understood Tripwire. We’ll be there shortly to tow. Victoria out.”
“Tripwire over and out.”
The shuttle Victoria towed the drone near the Odin where it was carefully inspected again and all containers, lockers, and panels were opened and scanned. The drone was carefully moved into the aft cargo bay of the Odin and secured. The metals were evaluated and they were worth the cost of one hundred drones. Phillips had been right about this piece of trading. Metals were ripe for trade and easy to obtain. This was profitable and Brad had to give Phillips his due. All unauthorized trades were the property of the ES fleet – in this case the Earth Regulatory Forces. General Kyger called Rett to meet him in the aft cargo hold.
Kyger called Rett over to meet with him when he arrived at the cargo bay. Tod was also present. “Greetings. I have a proposal for you. I promised you a ship or enough money for passage. We recovered this drone with many rare metals in it. I propose to give you this shell to build your ship. This has its own power and propulsion system. It has a lot of room for a small ship. You need to adapt the controls, add some armament and an environmental system and you will have your own spacecraft. We will stock it with many profitable trade goods. This human will work with you on it. Will this be acceptable?” Brad asked.